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North Lincolnshire among nine places that will 'not go smoke free' until after 2050

The area is one of nine local authorities that is predicted to still be smoking in 32 years' time, according to data conducted by Frontier Economics and commissioned by Philip Morris Limited (PML)

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by Simon Leonard

07:00, 11 Sep 2018Updated10:17, 11 Sep 2018

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The area is one of nine local authorities that is predicted to still be smoking in 32 years' time(Image: Getty)

North Lincolnshire will not go smoke free until after 2050, new research shows.

The area is one of nine local authorities that is predicted to still be smoking in 32 years' time, according to data conducted by Frontier Economics and commissioned by Philip Morris Limited (PML).

One in five (20.84 per cent) people in North Lincolnshire smoked in 2017, the most recent year for which data is available.

The research also highlights a variety of measures that could accelerate the decline in cigarette smokers. These include increasing the number of smokers using NHS Stop Smoking services and getting more switching to better alternatives like e-cigarettes and heated tobacco.

The new figures are detailed on a website launched by PML - lastsmoke.co.uk - which presents ONS data for postcode areas through an interactive tool. It also includes a powerful call to action to encourage communities to go smoke free faster.

The findings of the report include:

Regional falls in smoking rates from 2011 to 2017 varied from 10 per cent to one per cent - with only Cheshire East, actually smoking more in 2017 than it did six years earlier.

Significant differences in smoking prevalence across England, with three per cent of local authorities having a rate of over 20 per cent while four per cent have a rate of between five per cent and 10 per cent.

Deprived areas have relatively more smokers. The three local authorities with the highest rates of smoking – Kingston upon Hull, Blackpool and North Lincolnshire – have an average rate of 22.1 per cent compared to an average rate of 8.8 per cent among the three lowest, which are Rutland, York and Wokingham.

The Last Smoke website also includes other proposals that could accelerate the end of cigarettes in the country. These include more independent research into smoking alternatives, targeted government campaigns through school and social media to stop smoking in the first place and tackling the trade in illicit cigarettes by taking tougher action against criminal gangs.

Mark MacGregor, UK corporate affairs director of PML, said: "Our business is committed to going smoke free as fast as possible and ultimately stopping selling cigarettes altogether. What this research reveals is the huge variation in the decline in smoking in different parts of the country.

One in five (20.84 per cent) people in North Lincolnshire smoked in 2017(Image: Getty)

"We want to play our part in working with local businesses, retailers and councils in the areas with highest smoking rates. It is not going to be easy getting smokers in these areas to stop. One of the keys to success will be ensuring they understand that there are more alternative options than ever that can help them give up cigarettes for good."

Councillor Richard Hannigan, deputy leader of North Lincolnshire Council, said: "Reducing smoking is one of the North Lincolnshire Council’s and the North Lincolnshire Health and Wellbeing board’s key priorities.

"The council provides professional stop smoking support for any smoker in North Lincolnshire through our Healthy Lifestyle Service on 01724 298212. Last year alone, over 1,000 smokers quit using this local support.

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"The data used in this research used a small sample size in North Lincolnshire, effecting the viability of results. If data from other years, for example 2016, had been used in this research, North Lincolnshire would appear much higher up this list. This calls into question the validity of the findings.

"We recognise that North Lincolnshire does have a smoking rate higher than the national average. We are actively working to reduce the harm caused by smoking and support activity to create smokefree spaces, to reduce the supply of illicit tobacco, to reduce the number of women who smoke during pregnancy and to reduce the uptake of smoking by children and young people.

"Whilst we are hugely disappointed with the conclusions drawn by this report, it is our intention to understand this data and, whether or not it is accurate, we will continue to work tirelessly to eliminate tobacco smoking in North Lincolnshire by 2050."